Combination-lock.



W. POX.

COMBINATION LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG, 20, 1908.

Patented Nov. 23,1909.

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iN-VENTUR ANDREW, n. GRAHAM 00.. momumvcmwans. wmuuc'mm u, c.

W. FOX. COMBINATION LOCK. APPLIOATION FILED 41m. 20, 1908.

Patented N0v.23,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Invsnrrna ANDREW. a. 0mm: cu" PNOTO-UTHDGRAPHERS. waswmwu. u. c.

WILLIAM FOX, 0F WINNIPEG, IVIANITOBA, CANADA.

COIVIBINATION-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 20, 1908.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909. Serial No. 449,565.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM. Fox, of the city of Vinnipeg, in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Combination- Locks, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to combination locks, particularly adaptable to suit cases, v-alises, and hand hatchels, and the object of the invention is to provide a simple lock which is opened by a definite combination thereby rendering it unnecessary to carry a key.

It consists essentially in a spring pressed notched locking bar, an incased slidable T- plate with which the locking bar engages; a circular rotatable plate carried by the latter plate and having a number of openings therein; means for sliding the T-plate and determining its position; and a plunger rod designed to cooperate with the said openings and adapted to release the locking bar, the parts being arranged and constructed as hereinafter more particularly described.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my combination lock as applied to a valise, the lock being open. Fig. 2 is a plan view as in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is av horizontal sectional view in the plane denoted by the line X X, Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view in the plane denoted by the line Y Y, Fig. 2, the plunger rod being shown in its upper position. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken in the plane denoted by the line X X, Fig. 1, and looking upwardly or in the opposite direction to that indicated by the arrow.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view in the plane denoted by the line Y Y, showing the plunger rod in its down or lower position. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detailed perspective View of the sliding T- plate. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detailed plan view of the rotatable plate carried by the T- plate. Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the right hand portion of Fig. 1; showing the locking bar in end elevation, and the opening in the plate.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

1 and 2 represent the ordinary sides of a valise which close together and which are supplied with engaging plates 3 and 4., both of such plates being of a channel form in cross section with the adjoining faces 3 and 4: respectively somewhat wider than those remote.

5 is a plate firmly secured to the plate with the edge toward the plate 4 extending so that it may pass when the valise is closed over such latter plate.

6 is a rod carried in similar brackets 7 extending from the inner face of the portion l and 8 is a spiral spring encircling a portion of the rod and having one of its ends tied thereto at 9 and the other of the ends extending upwardly and abutting the inner face of the plate as at 9.

10 is a locking bar extending at right angles from the rod 6 to which it is firmly secured and also extending through an elongated opening 11 formed in the portion 1 of the plate 4. The bar is notched at 12 for a purpose hereinafter explained. The object of the spring is so that the locking bar will be continuously pressed to its upper position, as shown in Fig. 1, and the elongated opening allows the bar to be depressed when desired.

In the portion 3 of the plate 3 and directly opposite the opening 11 is a second opening 13 adapted to admit the end of the locking bar, such opening registering with the aforesaid opening when the plates are brought together.

14 is an incasing plate located between the downwardly extending arms of the plate 3 to which it is secured thereby forming a casing or inclosure for the working portions of the lock.

15 is a longitudinal slot cut in the plate 14.

16 is a T-plate resting on the plate 14; and slidably retained thereon by the overhanging strips 17 which are secured to the plate 14 through spacing members 18. The rib 16 of the T-plate extends into and through the slot 15 and enters in the locked position the notch in the locking bar 10.

19 are teeth formed on the one edge of the T-plate, and 20 and 21 are notches cut in the plate immediately at the ends of the row of teeth, the purpose of these being later ex plained.

22 is a knob from which extends downwardly a rod 23, the inner end of which passes into the casing and is provided with a gear wheel 24.

25 is a bearing plate secured to the rod and preventing it from being displaced downwardly.

26 is a pinion mounted in suitable bearings formed in the plates 3 and 14, and meshing with both the gear wheel 24 and the teeth 19 of the T-plate. It will be noticed that an opening is formed at 27 by cutting away a portion of one of the over hanging strips and of the spacing strip to allow of the insertion of the pinion.

28 are flat springs secured to the plate 14, one at either end of the slot 15, such springs being designed to engage with the ends of the T-plate when such plate has been forced to its limiting positions, in which positions either the notch 20 or 21 is directly opposite the pinon and the pinion has passed from engagement with the tooth.

29 is a second knob from which extends a plunger rod 30 which passes through the plate 3 into a cylindrical inclosure 31 secured on the inner face of such plate. ithin the inclosure is a spiral spring 32 which encircles the rod and engages with a circular plate 33 carried by the rod and firmly fastened thereto. The tendency is for the spring to keep the plunger rod in its upper position, that is, with the plate 33 against the inner face of the plate 5. The bottom 33 of the inclosure 31 is supplied with an opening through which the rod passes when the knob is depressed. The end'30 of the rod is shaped as is best shown in Fig. 5 where it will be seen there are two parallel edges and two converging edges.

34 is a circular plate rotatably secured in the T-plate and slidable therewith, its position being such in a certain position of the plate 16 that an axial line through the rod 30 passes centrally through it.

35 is an opening formed in the plate 3 of a form which will receive the end 30 of the plunger rod, it being necessary that the opening correspond exactly with such end.

36 is a circular opening in the plate to the side of the opening 35, such opening being of a size which will admit of the passage of the plunger rod 30.

37 is a circular opening in the plate 1-1 directly in an axial line with the plunger rod, the purpose of which will become apparent when I have described the operation of the lock.

The opening 13 hereinbefore referred to is placed so that when the locking bar is passed therethrough its end will extend immediately beneath the opening 37.

38 is a circular plate secured to the plate 5 and having numbers arranged consecutively thereon whereby it can be used as a dial in connection with the plunger rod knob. The knob is supplied with an index mark, as shown at 39. The plate 5 has also a series of numbers notated thereon immediately adjacent the circumference of the plate 25, and the knob 22 is supplied with an index markflO similar to that 39.

In order to better understand the invention I will now describe its operation: To lock it the plates 3 and 4 are brought to gether and the locking bar entering the opening 13 engages with the flange 16 thereby securing the parts together, and it is im- 1 possible without knowing what may be termed the combination to throw the bar out of engagement with the arm. The plate 5 prevents any person tampering with the locking bar, as will readily be seen.

To open the lock we will assume the com bination known, such consisting in the numbers at, 2, and 1, the numbers 1 and 1 referring to the dial used in connection with the knob 22. Turning the knob 22 till the index mark 40 points to the number 4t of the dial moves the plate 16 by reason of the gear 2%, the pinion 26, and the teeth 19, so that the opening 35 appears directly beneath the plunger rod 30. The knob 29 is then depressed and the end 30 is fitted, by turning, into the opening. the depressed position till the index pointer 39 is directed to the number 2, turns the plate 34 so that the opening 36 will pass in the subsequent movement of the plate directly beneath the plunger rod. The knob 29 is then released and the knob 22 is turned so that the index pointer 40 is directed to the number 1 on the dial. This motion slides the plate 16 so that the opening 36 is brought in an axial line with the plunger rod and registering with the opening 37 already mentioned. If the plunger rod be depressed at this instant its end will pass through the opening 36 and the opening 37 and engage with the end of the locking bar 10 and depressing it disengages it with the arm 16. The plates 3 and 4 can then be moved apart, the locking rod escaping from the opening.

In order to mislead any one attempting to work the combination and also to insure against damage to the lock the notches 20 and 21 are supplied. It will be seen that if any person were to turn the knob 22 in either direction the T-plate would be forced to one of its extreme positions and that if no notches were provided the plate would be jammed against the end of the inclosing casing, and if one continued to turn, the teeth would be either stripped from the plate or the pinion or some other such damage would result. The notches allow the knob to be turned without doing harm as the pinion after leaving the teeth simply escapes in the notches. The springs prevent the plate from passing completely out of engagement with the teeth so that when the knob is turned in the reverse direction the pinion will catch v the teeth and return the plate.

WVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a set of opposing plates adapted to be closed together, and a depressible laterally extending locking bar Turning the knob 29 in carried by one plate and designed to enter an opening in the opposing plate, of a slidable plate designed to engage with the locking bar and to lock the opposing plates to gether, means whereby the sliding plate may be brought to a predetermined position, and a plunger rod adapted to be depressed when the plate has reached such predetermined position to disengage the locking bar from the sliding plate, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a set of opposing plates adapted to be closed together, and a de pressible laterally extending locking bar carried by one plate and designed to enter an opening in the other plate, of a sliding plate designed to engage with the locking bar to lock the opposing plates together, a rotatable plate carried by the sliding plate and having openings therein, means whereby the sliding plate may be moved to a predetermined position, means for turning the rotatable plate to a predetermined position, such latter means being further designed to engage with the locking bar when the slidable and rotatable plates are in their predetermined positions, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a set of opposing plates adapted to be closed together, and a depressible laterally extending locking bar carried by one plate and designed to enter an opening carried by the other plate, of a sliding plate designed to engage with the locking bar to lock the opposing plates together, a rotatable plate carried by the sliding plate and having openings therein, means whereby the sliding plate may be moved to a predetermined position, a depressible plunger rod having its lower end designed to pass into one of the openings in the rotatable plate whereby the plate may be rotated to a predetermined position, such rod being adapted when both of such plates are in their predetermined positions to pass, when depressed, into and through the other of the openings and into engagement with the locking bar, as and for the purpose specified.

4:. In a device of the class described, the combination with a set of opposing plates adapted to be closed together, and a depressible laterally extending locking bar carried by one plate and designed to enter an opening in the opposite plate, of a sliding plate designed to engage with the looking bar to lock the opposing plates together, a rotatable plate carried by the sliding plate and having openings therein, a rotatable rod controlling the position of the sliding plate, a depressible plunger rod having its lower end adapted to fit into one of the aforesaid openings whereby the rotatable plate may be turned, such rod being further adapted in a certain position of the rotatable and the sliding plates to pass into and through the other of the openings and when depressed to engage with the locking bar, as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with'a wet of opposing plates of a channel bar form adapted to be closed together, and a depressible laterally extending locking bar carried by one plate and designed to enter an opening carried by the other plate, of an incasing plate disposed between the downwardly extending arms of the latter plate, said'opening entering beneath the incasing plate, a slidable T-plate carried by the incasing plate and having its arm passing into and through a longitudinal slot in such latter plate, such arm engaging with the locking bar, a circular plate having openings therein carried by the slidable plate, a rotatable rod entering the casing and designed to control the motion of the sliding plate, a rotatable depressible plunger rod entering the casing and designed, when depressed, to have its lower end enter one of the openings in the circular plate whereby such plate may be turned, such rod being adapted also to pass into and through the other of the openings and into engagement with the locking bar, as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a set of opposing plates of a channel bar form adapted to be closed together, and a depressible laterally extending locking bar carried by one of the plates and designed to enter an opening in the opposing plate, of an incasing plate having a longitudinal slot therein, such plate being disposed between the downwardly extending arms of the latter plate, a slidable T-shaped plate carried by the incasing plate, the arm of such T-plate passing into and through the slot and engaging with the locking bar, such plate being further provided with a set of teeth disposed on one of its edges, a rotatable rod having a knob at its upper end and its lower end entering the casing, a gear wheel secured to the lower end of the rod, a pinion meshing with the gear wheel and with the teeth of the T-plate, a circular plate carrier by the slidable plate and having a central opening therein and a second opening to one side of the center, a depressible rotatable plunger rod having a knob at its upper end and its lower end designed to enter the central opening whereby the circular plate may be rotated, such rod being further adapted to pass into and through the circular opening into engagement with the locking bar, as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with the inclosing plate, the

slidable plate carried thereby, and means for sliding the plate, of disengaging means between the sliding means and the slidable plate adapted to operate when the plate has reached the limit of its stroke, as and for the purpose specified.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with the incasing plate, the sliding plate carried thereby and having a row of teeth disposed at one of its edges, and notches at each end of the row of teeth and the pinion engaging With the teeth, of springs adapted to engage With the sliding plate When such plate is in its limited position, as and for the purpose specified.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with the opposing plates adapted to be closed together, and a depressible in the opposing plate,

laterally extending locking bar carried by one plate and designed to enter an opening of a longitudinally slidable plate designed to engage with the locking bar to lock the opposing plates together, said plate moving in a plane at right angles to the plane of movement of the depressible locking bar and means for sliding the plate to a predetermined position to whereby the locking bar may be released, as and for the purpose specified.

Signed at Vinnipeg in the Province of Manitoba, this 20th day of July 1908.

\VILLIA-M FOX.

In the presence of GERALD S. ROXBURGH, M. A. SOMERVILLE. 

